Acknowledgement-based rerouting of multicast traffic
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method comprising:
- sending a join message for a multicast group towards a root of a new multicast tree, whereinmulticast forwarding information and multicast routing information are associated with the multicast group, andprior to the join message being sent, the multicast routing information and the multicast forwarding information identify a current multicast tree;
in response to sending the join message,inhibiting updating of the multicast forwarding information to identify the multicast tree, until receipt of an acknowledgement message corresponding to the join message; and
updating the multicast routing information to identify the new multicast tree, prior to the receipt of the acknowledgement message, whereinthe sending, the inhibiting updating, and the updating are performed by a network device.
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Abstract
Various techniques for exchanging control messages in order to gracefully reroute multicast traffic are disclosed. For example, one method involves sending a join message for a multicast group towards a root of a new multicast tree and forwarding multicast traffic, addressed to the multicast group, on a current multicast tree until an acknowledgment corresponding to the join message is received. The new multicast tree can be identified in response to detection of a topology change within the network. Until the acknowledgment is received, multicast traffic that is received via the new multicast tree can be dropped.
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Citations
15 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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sending a join message for a multicast group towards a root of a new multicast tree, wherein multicast forwarding information and multicast routing information are associated with the multicast group, and prior to the join message being sent, the multicast routing information and the multicast forwarding information identify a current multicast tree; in response to sending the join message, inhibiting updating of the multicast forwarding information to identify the multicast tree, until receipt of an acknowledgement message corresponding to the join message; and updating the multicast routing information to identify the new multicast tree, prior to the receipt of the acknowledgement message, wherein the sending, the inhibiting updating, and the updating are performed by a network device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A network device comprising:
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a storage module comprising multicast forwarding information and multicast routing information, wherein the multicast forwarding information and the multicast routing information are associated with a multicast group; and a routing module coupled to access the multicast forwarding information and the multicast routing information, wherein the routing module is configured to; send a join message specifying the multicast group towards a root of a new multicast tree, wherein prior to the join message being sent, the multicast forwarding information and the multicast routing information identify a current multicast tree; inhibit updating the multicast forwarding information to identify the new multicast tree until receipt of an indication that the new multicast tree has been established; and update the multicast routing information to identify the new multicast tree, prior to the receipt of the indication that the new multicast tree has been established. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A system comprising:
a first network device configured to; send a join message for a multicast group towards a root of a new multicast tree, wherein multicast forwarding information and multicast routing information are associated with the multicast group, and prior to the join message being sent, the multicast forwarding information and the multicast routing information identify a current multicast tree; in response to the join message being sent, inhibit updating the multicast forwarding information to identify the new multicast tree until receipt of an acknowledgement message corresponding to the join message; and update the multicast routing information to identify the new multicast tree, until prior to the receipt of the acknowledgement message. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14)
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15. A system comprising:
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means for sending, from a network device, a join message for a multicast group towards a root of a new multicast tree, wherein multicast forwarding information and multicast routing information are associated with the multicast group, and prior to the join message being sent, the multicast forwarding information and the multicast routing information identify a current multicast tree; in response to sending the join message, means for inhibiting, on the network device, updating of the multicast forwarding information to identify the new multicast tree, until receipt of an acknowledgement message corresponding to the join message; and means for updating, on the network device, multicast routing information to identify the new multicast tree, prior to the receipt of the acknowledgement.
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Specification